AUBURN | Texas A&M’s first nine drives of the game ended in punts.

The Aggies started the second half with five consecutive three-and-outs, which totaled -15 yards.

It was a dominating performance by Auburn’s defense, which lifted the Tigers to a 13-10 win Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“I love to watch defense fly around,” said coach Cadillac Williams. “I love to watch the relentless effort, the grind, the playing together, the 11 men to the ball, the tenacity, the fight, the grind, the hitting, the physicality. Love it. Like I tell them guys, I cannot wait to see them cats play.”

It was a unit that came into the game ranked 12th in the SEC in scoring defense. But the defense played its best game of the season just 12 days after Williams was named interim coach.

It’s the same coordinator, same assistant coaches and same players, but they’ve been transformed with Williams running the show.

“Cadillac emphasizes everyone just playing together and sticking together, serving and believing,” said linebacker Cam Riley. “We feel like everyone bought into his two words -- and discipline, as well. Everyone bought in as a group together, and we all played together as a team to get the dub for him.”

The play of the defense is even more impressive when you consider they only used five substitutes against TAMU due to injuries and depth problems.

Edge Derick Hall, linebacker Owen Pappoe, safety Jaylin Simpson, who recently converted from cornerback, and safety Cayden Bridges played all 62 snaps. Nickel Keionte Scott played 61 snaps and defensive end Colby Wooden and cornerback D.J. James played 60.

It was Wooden who had the play of the game with a strip-sack in the fourth quarter, which was recovered by Morris Joseph and led to Alex McPherson’t game-clinching field goal.

TAMU finished with just 215 total yards as AU totaled six tackles-for-loss and three sacks. Quarterback Conner Weigman completed just 14 of 37 passes (39 percent) for 121 yards.

The win, in front of a sell-out crowd, broke a five-game losing streak.

“It's like a weight off our shoulders. We haven't won in so long. Like, it feels like forever,” said Wooden. “But, God, it feels so good to get a win. It's a deep breath — we breathe and are like, 'OK.' But we know we've got to get back to work.

“But I'm just happy for Caddy. The way all of Auburn came out, bruh? The stadium was electric. How his former teammates came back and was, like, with us. Like, they were ready to play with us. Like, they brought back the true meaning of what it means to be an Auburn Tiger, and I'm happy for everybody.”

Auburn, 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the SEC, hosts Western Kentucky next Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network.